There are many situations in which long lengths of high strength chains are required. A common situation arises in marine applications, particularly in mooring or anchoring vessels in deep water, typically required in off-shore drilling and production of hydrocarbon. In off-shore drilling operations, floating production, drilling or construction platforms or spar buoys generally are moored in a desired location through the use of chains secured between the platform and anchors on the ocean floor. In a typical installation, the anchor lines are installed by passing a messenger chain or rope from the deck through a chain wheel and out to a pre-installed anchor or mooring on the ocean floor. A connecting link secures the messenger chain to the anchor chain. The messenger chain is then hauled back to the platform, thereby pulling the anchor chain back to the platform as well. Both the messenger chain and anchor chain pass through the same chain wheel.
Since the messenger chain has a lower capacity, it is usually smaller than the anchor chain. Prior art connecting links do not allow for two different sized chains to be interconnected and transitioned through a chain wheel.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatically and in partial views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed methods and apparatuses or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.